Far from a 'forgotten war' for grateful Koreans

AFTERMATH: Lee Martin had to take a cautious approach to waking her husband Allen, who came home far from unscathed.

It's often referred to in New Zealand as the Forgotten War, but the Korean conflict (1950-53) has never been forgotten by the people of what is now South Korea.

So veteran Allen Martin said on Sunday when Jong Sung Park, now resident in Paihia, and his family hosted a luncheon at the Waipapakauri Hotel for Far North members of the Korean Veterans' Association.

Every year, Mr Martin (Kerikeri) said, 30 veterans were invited to South Korea as guests of the government, and were decorated for the service they gave so long ago.
"They really are bending over backwards to show their gratitude. And the new generations are the same," he said.

Mr Park reiterated that gratitude. As a boy he had been taught that the United Nations had helped his people fight communism, but that had been no more than an historical fact until he began meeting veterans in person.

"It was you and your fellow soldiers who risked your precious lives," he said, adding that he wished to help build the relationship between the two countries.

The veterans were of an age with his own parents, he said, and Mr and Mrs Martin had treated him like their own son.

There aren't many veterans left now - about 15 in the association's Far North branch; one of their number, Jim Taylor, passed away last week.

"We were the babies when we went there, and now we're the veterans," Charlie Baker (Kaitaia) said, adding that he was sorry that the soldiers had not go to know the Korean people all those years ago.

"We were in the north," he said, "and the refugees went to the south. And we spent our leave in Japan.

"They are a fine race, and we would have had a good time if we had had the chance."
Bob Brown's memories included being aboard the troop ship (a ferry in her previous life) 'Wahine' when she struck a reef off Darwin. Six hundred troops were taken off by an oil tanker and delivered safely to Darwin, from where they made their way to Korea "in dribs and drabs."

Some 3500 New Zealanders had served, volunteering for various reasons. Most had been too young to serve in WWII, and by 1950 everyone believed there would be war between the US and the USSR," so we might as well sign up and do our bit."

The late Andy Rae, legendary proprietor of the Waipapakauri Hotel, had been a steward aboard 'Wahine,' he added.

Arthur Kapa was born and bred at Te Kao but was on the West Coast when he enlisted at the age of 21. He lost his left leg to a land mine on Armistice Day, shortly before he was to go on leave.

He had taken a shortcut through a minefield, he said, as many had before him, but didn't get through that time.

Mr Martin was in Japan with J Force when he signed up for Korea. Many more than were needed had volunteered, he said, although he believed troops already in Japan should simply have been sent there.

It was the first and last time that the UN deployed combat troops, he added. He believed the world would have been a better place had it continued doing so.

Meanwhile he didn't come home from service unscathed either. His wife had learned to take some care when waking him, lest he unthinkingly reacted by lashing out.

Merv Reid (Whangarei) told the gathering that Korea had a long history of oppression and injustice. It had gained independence on August 15, 1945, after a brutal 35-year occupation by Japan, but the south had remained under threat from the North.

The US had lost 33,000 men in the three-year war, New Zealand, Canada and the UK 4800. South Korea lost 415,000, with 429,000 wounded.

"Korea paid dearly for freedom, but can now be proud of the country that has been built from the ashes. We played just a small part in that recovery," he said.

"Seventy years ago Korea was free at last to pursue her own destiny, which she has done very well."

Bob Brown certainly did not regret the part he had played.

"Your gratitude makes it all worthwhile," he told Mr Park.